History

#BuddysPizza

MORE THAN 70 YEARS AGO...

Six Mile and Conant was like any street corner in Detroit, Philadelphia or New York... people walking to the market, children playing stickball in the street, neighbors helping neighbors, and friends meeting at the local gathering spot now known as Buddy's.

In the 1930s, Buddy's existed as a "blind pig," skirting the State and Federal laws that governed the on-site sale and usage of alcohol. Booze was available there. The owner at the time was August "Gus" Guerra.

In 1944, Gus turned the blind pig into a legitimate tavern, but with World War II still raging, business was suffering. In 1946, Sicilian style pizza was added to the menu. Soon the neighbors, and out-of-towners, were becoming hooked on Buddy's unique recipe. The legend of The Original Detroit Style Square Pizza was born.

In 1953, two Jimmys, Bonacorse and Valenti, purchased Buddy's and its celebrated pizza recipe. Then, sixteen years later, William "Billy" and Shirlee Jacobs visited Buddy's, fell in love with it and, in 1970, bought it.

Today, more than 72 years since the introduction of "The Original Detroit Style Square Pizza," consistently voted number one for decades, Buddy's continues to thrive under the stewardship of Robert Jacobs, the son of Billy and Shirlee Jacobs.

With numerous locations throughout metro Detroit, Buddy's Pizza still claims the hearts and taste buds of scores of Detroit-area pizza lovers. It's not uncommon for ex-Detroiters to make a stop at Buddy's when they visit the Motor City. In 2003 Buddy's was recognized as one of the "Nation's Five Best Pizza Places" by The Food Network. In 2005 Buddy's was named the "Hottest Independent Pizzeria in the Nation" by Pizza Today and in 2009 GQ Magazine called Buddy's "One of the best 25 Pizzas in America". Recently Buddy's was also named "One of the 25 Best Pizza Spots in the U.S." by Food & Wine Magazine and "One of the Best Pizzas" by Pure Michigan. Buddy's was also featured as "One of the Five Great Pizza Places in the Country" by Parade Magazine and chosen by Zagat as a "Destination Pizza and Ten Pizzas Worth a Trip." The late Detroit Free Press columnist Bob Talbert wrote: "Is Buddy's the best pizza? It sure is, because it is the one that all the others are compared to."

Year after year, Buddy's continues to be voted Detroit's number one pizza. The enthusiasm and following that Buddy's generates today is just as exciting and rewarding as it was more than 72 years ago.